
Sunday Safe Spaces
This is a monthly program hosted by April Jackson and Wesley Hamilton every third Sunday of the month. Join them on their podcast for insightful discussions that dive into pressing issues, hot topics, and current events, featuring a diverse lineup of guests. April and Wesley draw from their lived experiences at the intersections of race and disability, creating an inclusive and thought-provoking dialogue. Through personal stories and expert insights, they explore healing and wellness tools for the mind and body, with the aim of inspiring and empowering listeners. With 43 episodes and over 50 guests sharing lived experiences, the podcast is dedicated to supporting the community by fostering connection and understanding, especially in a society where marginalization is all too common. Tune in for conversations that challenge, inform, and uplift.
Sunday Safe Spaces
Caregiving and Compassion Fatigue
This month, we welcome Sharise Nance, LCSW, Entrepreneur, Speaker
Sharise is a highly educated and deeply experienced Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Trauma Specialist, Workshop Facilitator, Global Speaker, Award Winning and Serial Author and Entrepreneur. She is the co-owner and founder of HandinHand Counseling Services, LLC. Sharise and her partner started the private practice due to the mental health disparities for Black people, as well as their own experiences with pay disparities as mental health therapists and social workers. With over 20 years of experience assisting individuals, couples and families to see beyond energy depletion, hopelessness, panic, guilt and feeling overwhelmed, Sharise assists them in making a shift to a place of peace, joy, clarity, and satisfaction.
Having dealt with her own compassion fatigue and burnout, Sharise also dedicates her efforts to running Vitamin C Healing, LLC, an organization that helps companies prevent Leadership Burnout and Compassion Fatigue using a trauma sensitive and systems approach to create a supportive work culture that prioritizes work life balance and integration. Known as the Compassion Fatigue Lady and Compassion Stress Coach, Sharise has become one of the pioneers of Compassion Fatigue in Western Pennsylvania. She has considerable experience speaking at keynotes, workshops, and seminars for helping professionals, mental health leaders and entrepreneurs across the globe. She strives to equip individuals with tools to tolerate the high demands of work and life, imposter syndrome, as well as managing and preventing compassion fatigue and burnout in order to live happy, fulfilled lives and careers.
Sharise is the founder and creator of the S.W.A.G. Awards: Social Worker Appreciation of Greatness Awards, to honor the “heart work” of local social workers in the Greater Pittsburgh area who are often unappreciated and unrecognized.
She is the proud wife of William Nance, and during her spare time she enjoys running half marathons, reading, watching sports, traveling, and trying new foods.
Each month we share stories and individual experiences from the intersections of race and disability while exploring healing + wellness tools for mind and body.
Disabled But Not Really's mission is to empower and inspire individuals with disabilities to overcome challenges and reach their potential by fostering a mindset of courage, confidence, and competence. They aim to educate individuals and their communities on ways to help improve the overall quality of life for people living with a disability.
You can view these episodes with ASL interpretation on Open Up's YouTube channel. Catch episode previews and more information about Sunday Safe Spaces and other Open Up programming by following us on social media @openuppgh.